Self Preservation at its Finest
by captaineko
Summary: Silverpaw is a young apprentice with a goal in mind: to become the next ShadowClan leader. Hazelpaw has the footsteps of his father to follow, but would much rather be lazy. StarClan has foreseen the fall of the clans, and intend to do anything to stop it. Even if that means switching the souls of two cats. (SYOC open when noted)
1. To Preserve

A tall cat paced in a clearing beside a pool filled with a colourless liquid. Her pelt was littered in stars and only grew worse with each step as she managed to pick up more and more stars as she went. Each star was naught more but a shimmer in her brown fur, but with enough of them she was glowing bright enough to replace the sun. A few faded cats had gathered and were staring at her, but their presence was dim enough for the StarClan cat not to notice. Unlike the onlookers her tabby fur was vivid and bright and her eyes sparkled with light as well as a bit of terror. She was the ShadowClan leader who went by the name Willowstar, and was certainly unhappy with the way StarClan was doing things.

"Only four! There's only four of us to handle this! What are the Ancestors thinking!" she muttered.

Willowstar was too deep in her ramblings to notice a cat who was approaching, and jumped once another voice reached her ears.

"My my, you would think the eldest ShadowClan member of StarClan would not be so skittish," a smooth voice spoke.

Willowstar turned to face the newcomer. Her green eyes narrowed at the sound of the voice; she recognized it well.

"Ancestors, of course you were chosen to be the representative of RiverClan," Willowstar said eyeing the form of the new arrival.

The cat was covered in shining silver fur which shone with specks of stars and she laughed in a way that could only be described as a small giggle. She was petite, thin and Willowstar still had a hard time believing that she did not break the code to take on a mate. The cat in question happened to be one Minnowpool; a very kind and very considerate medicine cat who Willowstar had the pleasure of sharing her existence, in and out of StarClan, with.

"Miss me Willowstar? It's been moons since we last spoke hasn't it?" Minnowpool purred. She moved to sit in front of the pool and gave a flick of her tail towards Willowstar. She dipped a paw in the liquid, a few ripples cascaded over the emptiness. A brief picture of RiverClan's camp passed over with the waves before vanishing.

"I don't suppose you've changed over this last generation. Started caring about the clans perhaps?" Willowstar said as she went to sit next to the medicine cat. She made sure the keep a tail's distance so she would not shed blood in front of the Looking Pool.

"Oh of course not tree-brain! I'm simply excited to see what will happen. Will the clans finally die off or will they survive. Thrilling stuff really." Minnowpool said with a shrill of glee.

Willowstar was about to voice her disgust when a cough brought their attention to the third cat who managed to join them without either noticing. "Thymestar, you as well?" Willowstar said looking at the large ThunderClan leader.

He huffed in response and gazed down at the pool. Thymestar was a very average leader; if nothing else. He was large and a good fighter with a grey pelt. Although one thing Willowstar was looking forward too was his genuine kindness and concern for all cats regardless of the clans. Something that would surely balance out Minnowpool. While glaring at the silver medicine cat, Willowstar happened to notice the fourth and final cat approaching. He was small and extremely thin. The leader would have missed his black pelt completely if it was not for the two white ears atop his head.

"Webbednose, you little fish-fur you! Have you been hunting properly, you look like you have half-starved to death!" Minnowpool greeted the arrival with a happy giggle.

Webbednose only glared at the medicine cat, clearly not appreciating the joke about his painful death, and looked at pool.

"So we have WIllowstar, Thymestar, and her. Decent group. Although I wish Stormstar could have made it. Much better voice for RiverClan, I'd say, shame he faded a few moons back." Webbednose spoke without looking up.

"His soul has already been tied to another kit I hear?" Willowstar muttered.

"Indeed, Minnowpool here has put him into a RiverClan tom-kit," Webbednose said as she shot a glare at the medicine cat. "Couldn't wait to get rid of him could you."

Minnowpool tilted her head and gave a quick smile. After the small talk was over the four spend a quiet moment for the former RiverClan leader. No living cat would think that you could die even in StarClan, but a cat who fades from the memories of the living loses every part of who they once were. They become nothing but a blank soul.

Willowstar finally broke the silence as they had very little time to figure out what to do.

"Sharp claws will strike the clans, leaving blood in their wake. The only way to survive is with a silver wind's lead and support from the trees in the shadows," she recited the echoed words they all knew well. The founders of the four clans were only whispers to StarClan cats. They gave prophecies and it was up to the rest of StarClan to figure it out.

Webbednose glanced at the tabby she-cat and then down at the pool. He dipped a paw in showing a image of three small sleeping kits nestled beside a larger orange cat. Each kit had a similar brown pelt which was decorated in darker brown and black stripes. He then twirled it around in a circle to make the pool fade into two separate pictures. On the right there was one of the small brown kits from earlier but in a closer view. While the left held a light grey she-kit with her legs spread out on top of her darker grey littlermate. The warrior then drew a claw from one kit to the other.

"It's clear we needed to get Silverkit in WindClan and Hazelkit in ShadowClan." Webbednose added, "We all agree on this correct?"

The other three nodded in silence and Thymestar spoke up next, "What about switching them. Send a hawk to carry them to the other clan. They're only kits, they won't remember much." He hit the pool and made it fade into a large brown bird carrying a small silver kit.

Willowstar nodded quickly. She did not have her own plan, but she had come to the realization that there was no other option than to forcibly switch the two.

"To risky," Webbednose muttered. "If we do that and their parents find out, there's no way to control what happens."

"Well what else do we do! We can't just switch their personalities!" Thymestar growled and glared at the black tom.

Webbednose drew his mouth into a hiss, but was cut off by Minnowpool.

"Yes we can," she said with a smirk.

"What?" the three others said in unison.

"We already give half the clan cats their souls, and we take all of them away. Who says we can't just take, make the switch and put them back?"

Minnowpool was met with silence until Thymestar spoke up, "I don't see why not."

"Why not? No cat has done that before, we could kill both of them!" Willowstar hissed.

"So we try it out." Minnowpool's smile widened. "Let's switch a ThunderClanner and a RiverClanner and see what happens."

"That sounds reasonable," Webbednose said and was followed by a silent nod by Willowstar.

"Reasonable! You are risking my descendants for an experiment! How can I allow this!" Thymestar spoke in a quickly ignited rage. He got to his paws and stepped away from the pool. Minnowpool quickly stood up and sauntered after the ThunderClan leader.

"You are outnumbered three to four, dear herb-heart, can you really argue? Something has to be done." Minnowpool purred with a soft smile.

A few heartbeats passed, with Thymestar eyeing each cat. Minnowpool was leaning towards him with a devious grin, Webbednose was staring at him in silence and Willowstar was looking away and at the pool. He breathed in and then out and then sighed,

"Fine, but I will choose which ThunderClan cat's life we are ruining."

"As will I for RiverClan,"

Allegiances

WindClan

 **Leader:** BADGERSTAR white tom with black feet and grey eyes

 **Deputy:** BERRYBRANCH small tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes

 **Medicine Cat:** ASPENBERRY Bluish-black she-cat with sky blue eyes

 **Apprentice:** PINEPAW brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 **Warriors:**

MOUSEROAR light brown she-cat with yellow eyes (Apprentice: Palepaw)

HAWKFLIGHT dark brown tom with copper eyes (Apprentice: Bearpaw)

SANDROSE pale orange and thin tabby she-cat with green eyes (Apprentice: Hazelpaw)

ADDERFUR dark grey tom with yellow eyes (Apprentice: Poisonpaw)

FLAMEBREEZE ginger tom with dark paws, dark ears, a dark muzzle and amber eyes (Apprentice: Rookpaw)

REBERRY large reddish brown mottled tom with amber eyes (Apprentice: Hawkpaw)

LOCHSHADE short frost point tom with blue eyes (Apprentice: Lizardpaw)

VINEFIRE brown tabby tom with white paws and brown eyes (Apprentice: Shortpaw)

MOORRUNNER lithe light brown tabby tom with golden eyes

BRIGHTPELT large white she-cat with bright ginger patches and leaf green eyes

RAVENWISH small black tom with hints of pale orange fur and golden eyes

BRAMBLEWHISKER dark brown tabby she-cat with dark cream stripes and golden eyes

FEATHEREAR pale grey and white tabby she-cat with blue eyes

GREYSNOW pale grey she-cat with a white underbelly, white paws and green eyes

 **Apprentices:**

PALEPAW light brown she-cat with green eyes

HAZELPAW light brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

SHORTPAW unusually short, slender frost point tom with blue eyes

ROOKPAW dusty brown tabby tom with dark amber eyes and a crooked tail

HAWKPAW sleek mottled brown she-cat with black ears, black paws, amber eyes and a fluffy black tail

LIZARDPAW brown-grey tom with black splotches, one green eye and one amber eye

BEARPAW sturdy orange-tan tom with black paws, a black stomach, a black muzzle, black ears and dim blue eyes

POISONPAW sleek tan tom with black spots and vibrant blue eyes

 **Queens Kits:**

SKYFLIGHT bluish-silver and white tabby she-cat with sky blue eyes (Nursing Flamebreeze's kits: BREEZEKIT grey tom with dark paws, dark ears, a dark muzzle and amber eyes, VIOLETKIT dark bluish-silver tabby she-cat, BRIGHTKIT bright ginger and white tabby she-cat with amber eyes)

HEATHERHEART light brown tabby she-cat with large green eyes (Nursing Redberry's kits: FENNETKIT fluffy light brown tabby she-kit with amber eyes, VIXENKIT large light brown tabby with a dark stripe along her back and amber eyes)

 **Elders:**

WILDJAW tall tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

ShadowClan

 **Leader:** SMOKEDSTAR dark grey, almost black, tom with dark amber eyes

 **Deputy:** TALLSTORM black and white tom with an abnormally long tail and blue eyes

 **Medicine Cat:** SNOWDAISY white she-cat with brown and black patches

 **Apprentice:** WATERPAW dark bluish-grey she-cat with yellow eyes

 **Warriors:**

THAWWEDBRIAR light grey tabby she-cat with light blue eyes (Apprentice: Vixenpaw)

NEWTLEAP greyish brown tom with amber eyes

CEDARSTORM brown tabby tom with a white tail and hazel eyes (Apprentice: Silverpaw)

MARSHILY white she-cat with brown patches (Apprentice: Ashpaw)

FALLENSHADOW solid black tom with green eyes (Apprentice: Beechpaw)

FROSTCLAW white tom with frosty blue eyes and tufted ears

SCORCHFLAME ginger tom with white chest, white paws and blazing amber eyes

IVYHEART slender black she-cat with long fur and pretty golden eyes (Apprentice: Fallowpaw)

FUZZYCLOUD black tom with spiky fur and cold amber eyes (Apprentice: Nightpaw)

BRAMBLESONG brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

FAIRSUN white she-cat with yellow splotches and hazel eyes (Apprentice: Whitepaw)

FROGLEAP white she-cat with brown splotches and hazel eyes

FERRETSTREAM grey and white tom with yellow eyes

 **Apprentices:**

SILVERPAW light grey tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

ASHPAW dark grey tabby tom with light, almost white, blue eyes

VIXENPAW slender, lithe, dark ginger, tabby she-cat with a white underbelly, white paws, white tail tip, black ear tips and green eyes

NIGHTPAW black tom with white paws and green eyes

FALLOWPAW very light ginger tom with white spots on his back

BEECHPAW light brown she-cat with blue eyes and a tan belly

WHITEPAW white she-cat with ginger spots and amber eyes

 **Queens Kits:**

TORNCLAW golden she-cat with green eyes (Expecting kits)

SKYFEATHER light grey she-cat with white paws and blue eyes (Nursing Fallenshadow's kits: DUSKKIT cream furred tabby she-cat with green eyes, HOLLYKIT solid black she-cat with blue eyes, YARROWKIT white tom with golden splotches and green eyes, WOODKIT brown tabby tom with striking blue eyes)

 **Elders:**

TINYSTONE light grey and white she-cat with yellowish-green eyes

VOLEWHISKER black tom with amber eyes

RiverClan

 **Leader:** FOXSTAR reddish brown tom with black paws, black ears, a black tail-tip and amber eyes

 **Deputy:** WILLOWHEART grey tabby she-cat with sky blue eyes

 **Medicine Cat:** MUDPOOL solid dark brown she-cat with green eyes

 **Apprentice:** BUMBLEPAW grey tabby tom with a black stripe down his back and green eyes

 **Warriors:**

SHELLSTONE greyish white tom with golden eyes

PIKECLAW brown tom with thick black tabby stripes and amber eyes

SUNDAPPLE small short-legged white she-cat with blue eyes (Apprentice: Stormpaw)

SOFTBITE bluish silver tabby she-cat with dark brown eyes

SORRELFLAME brown she-cat with hazel eyes

OTTERTOOTH light grey tabby tom with green eyes

LEOPARDHEART golden tabby she-cat with golden eyes (Apprentice: Blossompaw)

LEAFCLAW brown, white, black and grey mottled tabby she-cat with light green eyes and unusually sharp claws

HICKORYTUFT large reddish-brown tom with blue eyes (Apprentice:Creekpaw)

GOURSELEG fluffy light brown tom with stripes and amber eyes (Apprentice: Icepaw)

RABBITFOOT light brown tabby tom with pale green eyes

 **Apprentices:**

CREEKPAW bluish black tom with brown eyes

BLOSSOMPAW pale brown she-cat with copper eyes

STORMPAW large stormy grey tom with dark blue eyes

ICEPAW pure white tom with icy blue eyes

 **Queens Kits:**

OTTERDROP black she-cat with grey paws and icy blue eyes (Nursing Foxstar's kit: STORMKIT reddish brown she-cat with grey tail tip and icy blue eyes)

JUNIPERSNOW light ginger and white she-cat with bright green eyes (Adopted: RAINKIT black tom with amber eyes)

ROSEDAPPLE red and brown dappled she-cat with hazel eyes (Nursing Rabbitfoot's kits: NETTLEKIT spiky furred tortoiseshell she-cat with hazel eyes, QUAILKIT brown tom with hints of black and green eyes, RIPPLEKIT reddish-brown tabby she-cat with brown eyes)

 **Elders:**

HERONCRY small, short-legged brown she-cat with black specks, a short tail and amber eyes

REEDSTORM stocky black tom with amber eyes

ThunderClan

 **Leader:** SEEDSTAR brown she-cat with darker brown spots, darker paws and amber eyes

 **Deputy:** MALLOWFOOT white tom with pale green eyes

 **Medicine Cat:** RUSSETFEATHER unusually long furred dark red she-cat with yellowish orange eyes

 **Warriors:**

GORSEWATER dark grey tom with white paws and icy blue eyes (Apprentice: Jaypaw)

VIXENWILLOW dappled ginger she-cat with one copper eye and one hazel eye

WILDHEART sleek white tom with orange eyes (Apprentice: Robinpaw)

RUNNINGMIST white tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

FIREFUR vibrant ginger tom with brown eyes (Apprentice: Ashenpaw)

THISTLENOSE grey and white tom with green eyes and a scarred muzzle (Apprentice: Owlpaw)

COPPERCLAW reddish-brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Apprentice: Flightpaw)

SWIFTPELT large silver furred she-cat with stunning blue eyes and a scar down her flank

MOUSESTRIPE grey tom with one brown ear, one brown paw and green eyes

BRAMBLETAIL dark brown tabby tom with a black tail and amber eyes (Apprentice: Foxpaw)

ROBINFLIGHT red-and-white tabby she-cat with blue eyes

SOFTWING grey she-cat with very soft fur and blue eyes

OAKFOOT brown tabby tom with black paws and amber eyes

LILYTAIL dark brown-and-white tabby she-cat with pale green eyes (Apprentice: Ravenpaw)

 **Apprentices:**

FOXPAW dark ginger tom with amber eyes

FLIGHTPAW solid dark grey she-cat with icy-blue eyes

OWLPAW dark brown tom with darker brown spots, paws and amber eyes

ASHENPAW light grey she-cat with dark stripes, belly and blue eyes

ROBINPAW pale red tom with golden eyes

RAVENPAW solid black she-cat with golden eyes

JAYPAW pale greyish-blue tom with yellow eyes

 **Queens Kits:**

COTTON white she-cat with black patches and dark green eyes (Nursing: LAVENDERKIT dark blue she-cat with blue eyes, APPLEKIT white tom with green eyes, WALNUTKIT white and black tom with blue eyes, HEATHERKIT light greyish blue she-cat with dark green eyes)

CHERRYHEART ginger she-cat with white paws and green eyes (Adopted: DAWNKIT ginger she-cat with a white belly and dark golden eyes, GREYKIT grey and white tom with green eyes)

 **Elders:**

REDHEART reddish-brown she-cat with darker paws, darker speckles, one amber eye and one green eye


	2. Chapter 1: Beyond

I pray that no cat could notice the grin on my face. It wasn't a crime to be happy, but I still felt a sharp prickle from the guilt that clung to the edge of my fur. Cedarstorm was an honest warrior, quiet at times but unrivaled in battle. He was, in a way, more like a ThunderClan warrior and he had been gifted with a large frame he could use to trample enemies. He was a good mentor, just not the mentor I wanted. Which might be why I was so happy that he would be confined in the medicine den for the next moon. His injury was not serious, but it was enough to have Tallstorm take over my training.

I was standing next to said ShadowClan deputy with my chest puffed up, eyes glistening, and casually glancing at the black and white cat next to me. He was sitting as he calmly cleaned his paw. His long tail was perked up and made occasional flicks. I was nothing less than awestruck which could be why I did not notice his soft voice calling to me.

"Silverpaw, Silverpaw," he repeated until I snapped from my daze.

"Huh?" I said blinking.

"Ashpaw and Marshlily are here." He added a smile. "And I thought you were excited to see the territory at night."

"Ashpaw… " I muttered.

I snapped my gaze towards the two cats in front of me. On my right was the lithe figure of Marshlily. Her white fur was splashed in disorganized patches of brown and her tail swerved back and forth. The other figure was a large fluffy creature who was referred to as Ashpaw.

I coughed, "Right let's go."

A cheeky smirk grazed Tallstorm's face as he motioned for us to follow him out of camp. As we were walking, Marshlily jumped up to Tallstorm to begin a conversation. Her face was full of energy and it was easy to overhear what she was gossiping about..

"So did you hear that Tornclaw just moved to the nursery?" Marshlily said looking around at the sky. She looked back after a moment and I could make out a wide smile across her face

"Of course not, it isn't as if everyone is talking about it," Tallstorm replied sarcastically.

"Well it is Tornclaw we're talking about. The, I will never have kits, Tornclaw."

"I guess you're right, I wonder which lucky tom changed her mind."

"Yes, which tom..."

Marshlily's eyes were almost glimmering. She caught my stare and quickly looked away innocently. I let out a huff of breath and turned my attention from the white and brown she-cat to my brother. He seemed to be having trouble staying upright so I slowed my pace and fell in beside him. His long fur was hanging over his eyes which caused me to focus on his nose instead.

"What is Marshlily gossiping about this time?" he asked with a hint of a smile.

"What else could it be?" I retorted rolling my eyes.

"Tornclaw…. is there a single cat not talking about her?"

"Not in ShadowClan for sure,"

Ashpaw snorted before opening his mouth again, "Hey what was that-"

A deafening ringing cut him off. I stared at the soundless movements Ashpaw's lips were making and froze. Soon enough did he walk closer to me and start waving a paw by my face. I could only look at him blankly as exhaustion fell onto me. It took a moment, but I realized that Tallstorm and Marshlily had stopped and joined Ashpaw. While having the full attention of my deputy was flattering, their combined look of pity and concern made me feel horrible. What bothered me the most was the fact I just messed up my first impression to the current deputy.

While lost in my own thoughts I had not realised the word was slowly growing darker. My eyelids drew themselves shut and I felt sleep grip me. My saviour from the oncoming darkness was a loud shout.

"SILVERPAW, Silverpaw can you hear me?" Tallstorm asked as he lightly tapped my ear.

"Huh? What just happened," I responded shakily. My eyes darted around to each of the three cats surrounding me. Each of them stared at me with confusion and a dash of worry.

"You kinda spaced out there," Ashpaw said, "And almost fell asleep."

I shook myself and quickly straightened my posture.

"I-I don't know.." I trailed off. "Something just came over me."

Tallstorm stepped closer to me and stared for a long while.

"She must be tired. Didn't you and Cedarstorm take her around the entire territory earlier today?" He sighed and looked at Marshlily.

"We shouldn't have taken them out again," Marshlily affirmed.

My fur bristled, they were underestimating me. Ashpaw, who was standing beside me, looked fully alert and awake. I could keep going, I'm not tired.

"Wait!" I protested before being sharply cut off by my brother. He stepped in front of me and silenced any objections.

"I am feeling a bit tired… Could me and Silverpaw be let off for the night?" He asked.

From behind the mass of grey fur I saw Marshlily and Tallstorm exchange glances.

"I'm okay with that, Tallstorm?" Marshlily said.

"We can't let our apprentices get sick on their first day," Tallstorm laughed with a flick of his tail.

"Yeah... You two head back, and we'll go hunt. Alright?" Marshlily added.

I was about to speak but Ashpaw pushed me around and back through the forest. I glared at his lit up face, but started to walk without his assistance.

"What did you do that for?" I asked once we were far away from our mentors.

"Well see, Marshlily hinted that we might get a chance to learn the hunting crouch… and I had an opportunity to avoid that." His face twisted into a smirk.

"Huh," I grunted, "Do you even want to be a warrior?" I gently hit his shoulder with mine as we went onwards.

"When have I ever said that I did," He whispered back.

As we walked into camp and towards the apprentice den I looked at everything except for Ashpaw. To say that his words made me feel uneasy was an understatement.

I caught a hint of Waterpaw's dark grey fur and turned my attention from the medicine cat apprentice quickly. Near our den was a bundle of other apprentices. There was a small black tom who was listening to another cat. The first cat was Nightpaw who had his white front paws crossed over and was making the occasional nod and meow. The other, Fallowpaw, had light ginger fur which was covered by spots of white. Another cat was situated on the other side of den's entrance and was shuffling her paws. The white and ginger spotted she-cat in question had been given the name Whitepaw around a moon ago. Seeing her so uncomfortable made me even more ancy.

I was on the edge of my paws, but I managed to make it into the den. I plunged into the hovel first with Ashpaw close on my tail. In the uncomfortable silence we settled down into our nests in the back right corner of the den with our backs touching. I waited for a moment, took a breath and I then turned over to Ashpaw with my nose almost touching his.

"You know there's no rule saying that Snowdaisy can't take on another apprentice. Besides Waterpaw is pretty much a full medicine cat already," I muttered.

Ashpaw shifted and cracked one eye open.

"Wouldn't you like that. If I become a medicine cat, you would have no competition for leader," he huffed.

I pushed a free paw against his muzzle.

"I'm being serious here," I grumbled.

"Well I'm alright okay? If I'm supposed to be a medicine cat StarClan would send a sign or something."

"Your faith is clearly that of a medicine cat."

"Not all medicine cats believe in StarClan you know. I've heard a story."

My face twisted in annoyance, "Oh Really?"

"Just listen to me."

"Alright."

"Many moons ago there was this cat…"

 **A/N I'll keep this short, but I wanted to thank TheWanderer and ExplodingQuasar for their reviews. It's amazing how motivating they are.**


	3. Intermission

I remember it feeling cold. My paws felt nothing and no matter how far I reached there was nothing. I felt my mind stir as I was assaulted by the sound of arguing. I needed to open my eyes. But nothing would happen.

"Look what you mouse-brained fools have done, she's waking up!"

It was like I was underwater without the liquid drenching my fur. The sounds I could make out were foggy and distant. All I noticed was that the voice was silky but edged with panic. Something was happening.

"Well w-we already have it, so put in the replacement and let's go!"

Another voice quaked as if there was an earthquake happening. Was there one? I needed to know.

"Uh Minnowpool, something's wrong. Her soul, it's…"

The third was rough and coated in uncertainty. I heard movement grow louder and louder, something was coming closer.

"She is pulling back, look what you've done! Quick cut it off."

It was the first voice again, but this time it was easier to make out. Some of the fog had cleared and the weight was lifted from my eyes.

"Hurry up!"

This time I could see a clouded image of a small black figure. He was moving. Was he the one speaking?

Then it went dark.

And then I felt again.

I could see the dark figure again, and this time I could make out his features. His thin black fur clung to body and the faintest of bones stuck out. Despite his form, with specks of shimmers decorating his pelt, he seemed to glow. His clear amber eyes met mine and narrowed.

"She's awake again" He grumbled.

"So she is," came the reply. "Fine I'll fix it."

I twisted my neck, finding my form more flexible than ever, around to catch a glimpse of a silver. Just as I was taking in the stripes and glitter that clung to a cat's pelt did I feel the fog set back in. It creeped upon me and I felt cold dig it's claws into my fur. No. This is.

"Is she going to be alright? This didn't happen for the last two…"

What was I thinking? I Couldn't Remember.

"Let see what happens, shall we," was followed by a giggle.


	4. Chapter 2: Nonfiction

I curled closer to the other apprentices. I was shocked by how cold my new den got in the morning. In fact, I felt a gentle breeze lick my pelt from an opening in the dense bramble cover. I felt a body stir next to me and I cracked an eye open. Instead of the fuzzy pelt of grey I was accustomed to I met the amber eyes of a tabby tom. I continued to stare as he squirmed past various cats who were laying in a cluster. I could not remember what his name was, which was odd considering that, at the very least, I knew the name of each ShadowClan cat. The only apprentice who had a brown pelt was Beechpaw, but she was definitely not male.

"Mornin' Hazelpaw," The brown cat yawned. He was now on the edge of our bundle of cats and his brown fur was shining under the sunlight. Sunlight.

With a turn of my head I peered up to find nothing except a blazing sun and a blue sky. I looked around camp frantically, but there was nothing. Only some cats, rocks and bushes. I dove out of the nook I was squeezed into and my feet pressed onto other cats as I went. Ignoring the loud hisses and groans, my eyes darted around to each unfamiliar thing. Cold wind blasted me and a overwhelming stench of heather and grass hung in the air. What unnerved me the most was when I looked down at myself I saw a thick pelt of brown and black fur that stretched down and over massive paws. I took a breath and bolted.

I was headed for ShadowClan, wherever it was. I pulled myself to a stop just I passed a border and caught my breath. Only a few paces ahead of me was a large body of murky water with a lot of grass and plants sticking out of it. In the distance I could make out a patch of land that was lined with a few pine trees. I moved closer to the water edge and squinted as I looked past the island and onto another section of land. It was difficult to make out anything except for a dense forest of pine trees. If my home was anywhere close, it would be there.

I started on my way around the lake. I walked on the edge of the water so I could stay away from the odd looking twoleg nest on my other side. The structures themselves were relatively normal by twoleg were large, made of odd shapes and painted in an unnatural red. What caught my attention were the large white animals who were enclosed by some wooden structure and lazily standing there. They seemed harmless enough, but I was cautious anyways. Twolegs had a tendency to cause problems after all.

After walking a fair length I finally accepted that my movements felt different and heavier. At first I thought it was sleep weighing me down, but now it was pretty clear my body had changed in some way. I stopped to catch my breath and decided to further examine myself. My tail was a fair bit larger and fluffier than before and was tipped in black. The rest of my fur was different aswell, and I could definitely tell I was male now. No doubt about that.

I pushed onwards, trying to keep myself from thinking. Thoughts were buzzing back and forth in my mind. Perhaps this was a dream or I had simply gone mad. I shook myself and focused my attention on what lay ahead. I made a good amount of distance while lost in thought and I paused before an unseeable border. When Cedarstorm took me around ShadowClan, I got a chance to smell RiverClan and I could make out that same fishy scent right in front of me. I watched, listened and smelled before taking the plunge past the border.

I walked for a bit longer, but exhaustion starting to set in. I huffed with each step, but I was not going to stop yet. I weaved between two bushes and then immediately froze. Starring back at me was another cat, a RiverClan cat to be precise. I wanted to think about how I had missed him, but I freaked out instead. I scrambled as I tried to spin around and head back, yet my newly acquired large frame caused me to stumble and fall. With a loud splash I fell directly into a pool of water. I heard a deep laugh as I pushed myself up and wiped mud from my eyes. After blinking a few hundred times I could make out thick grey fur. The colour was reminiscent of a sky during a stormy night and coated his entire body except for a pair of shimmering dark blue eyes. His sleek appearance made my own ragged fur all the more noticeable so I sat down and began cleaning my fur quickly.

"Are you alright there?" He snickered.

"Yep," I replied, looking away.

I was trying to restore what little pride I had left after my fall, but with a larger head and larger paws it was difficult to properly clean myself. I licked a paw and then reached to wipe the fur higher on my head only to find that I didn't raise my paw high enough. What resulted was a few unintentional hits to my eye before I gave up. With shoulders slumped I glared at the cat. Throughout my struggles he had been watching me with an amused, likely mocking, look.

"Quit looking at me like that," I grumbled.

"Like what?" The cat chimed and started laughing again.

"Like I'm a little kit."

"Well you did just almost drown in a puddle."

"I did not!" I growled with bared teeth.

"Okay, ok-" His voice was cut off and his ears jolted up.

In an instant he turned to look away from me. With a quick sniff I could tell what he had noticed and I followed his stare to see more approaching cats. All I could managed to make out under the bright sun was a large brown cat who was being followed by two smaller white blurs. I turned back when I noticed RiverClan cat was already nudging me away. His wasn't forceful with the shoves, but I was still pushed a few paw-lengths by the time I looked at him.

"You have to leave," He whispered full of panic, "They will tear your fur off for being this far into RiverClan."

"I get it, I'll go," I got to my feet and shook my fur. I was on my way but a sudden thought hit me and I turned back to see the cat watching me anxiously.

"Why are you letting me go, why are you helping me?" I asked with a hushed breath.

"You remind me of something... " He said and then paused to watch his clanmates draw closer. He moved closer to me and crouched down. "You seem out of place."

At those words he launched at me with wide paws and claws sheathed. I fell hard onto the ground in an instant. Once the pain from the impact fell onto me I twisted and rolled over until I was pinning him down. My claw were pressed into his shoulders and small droplets of blood began forming. I went to growl, my teeth already bared, but froze as I hear yells in the distance. Looking down at the RiverClan cat beneath me I pushed off of him and rushed away. Only when I was far away from the RiverClan border did I look back for a second. Although the three cats were a bit clearer now, I could hardly make out any features. With a sigh between relief and disappointment I started walking back from wherever I had woken up

 **A/N: New chapter, and it's a bit longer too. Thanks to everyone who has gotten this far and I hope you keep reading.**

 **ExplodingQuasar: Yes, that was the soul-switching process. I wanted to make it weird, but I hope it isn't too confusing. '~'**


	5. Chapter 3: Employment

was on my way back but all too quickly everything was turned into a sparkling replica of a moor. Small lights with varying colours and shapes phased through my body as I moved forward. My own paws seemed lifeless and dull in comparison. Some stars spun and spasmed until they formed into shadowy cats that lurked towards me. They edged closer as if they were transfixed on something. A shiver went down my spin and I picked up my speed. I kept running with my eyes watching the movements behind me until I hit a strong force that caused me to stop.

"Silverpaw," It whispered.

I stumbled back and in that moment all the silhouettes vanished and the only creature that remained was a towering cat before me. I had to strain my neck to meet the gaze of her scorching green eyes. Her brown fur had black stripes that twisted and grabbed onto a pure white stomach. I felt none of the terror from earlier only a pleasant calmness from the lights danced around us.

"Silverpaw, come," She beckoned me with a wave of her tail.

I followed her words without question. Her long legs took a single step for every two I made. I began to fall behind but something forced me to break into a sprint and chase after the cat. I ran up to her side, but a burst of air blinded me shortly after. With closed eyes I pushed onwards even though the wind's ferocity willed me to go back. Just as quickly as it came did the gale die down. Upon opening my eyes I was met with a familiar forest lined in pine trees. I breathed in the comforting scent of my home and smiled softly.

"You have a great destiny ahead of you," I heard suddenly.

The voice was foreign. It was loud and commanding, but the sound was echoing as if it came from afar. I turned to look up at the tabby who had appeared once again, but her gaze was fixated on the dense territory we stood in. Her eyes glistened as if they too were covered in stars.

"What do you mean? Is that why I woke up in that place?" I uttered.

"You and a WindClan tom have traded places…" She trailed off before speaking again, "Take your role and live it well for a great evil is coming, and you must be the ones to cleanse it."

"I've traded? I-," I stuttered out. "I need to go back! My family is in ShadowClan, no, my whole life is there!"

"Take your role," She repeated.

Her body moved forward, heading away from me. The stars on her back grew dimmer and the shadows that spawned from the pines around us moved and swayed. Like large monsters they grasped onto the form of the glittery cat and consumed her in darkness. I ran after her diminishing form, but the thick black shadows lurched and grabbed onto my legs. I meowed in horror when I felt my body being forced down into the oozing darkness.

"Is that how I turn back?" I called out desperately in the last moment I had before my head was dragged under as well.

"Live it well, and cleanse the evil."

They said I had passed out in the middle of the moor with my fur covered in the musk of RiverClan and drenched in mud. The only problem is that I hadn't felt like I passed out. Unless being dragged into a pool of darkness was what passing out felt like. Either way, some unlucky WindClan cat had found me and dragged my limp body back to their camp and left me in a den which was littered in herbs. There were three nests, one of which I occupied, made from dry moss and the occasional bird feather. Other than that, there was a large pile of moss further back and these little ridges in every wall. Each indent held a colourful flower, leaf or root. It was quiet and I could see a pair of shadows dancing outside but I paid them no mind as I was more consumed by my thoughts.

"What was that? A prophecy?" I muttered aloud before shutting my muzzle.

In the elder's tall tales, prophecies were always masked in these cryptic metaphors that weren't actually that mysterious. Yet all I was given was a few nonsensical lines about a great destiny and a great evil. I could, however, suppose that I had been placed into the body of some WindClanner if that was what the starry cat meant by trading places.

"Hazelpaw! What in the name of StarClan were you doing in RiverClan?" a shrill voice said to me.

I looked over at the cat who had stormed into the medicine den. I vaguely recognized her fur colour from before. She was slender in a very delicate way with light brown fur pressed tightly against her frame. Beside her was another cat with brown fur and a few black stripes. He too was beyond skinny with a few noticeable bones edging out from under his fur. The two of them shared a similar face and I would hardly be surprised to find out they were siblings or related in some way.

"Wait Palepaw," He grumbled in annoyance, "He hit his head remember. Possible memory loss? That remind you of what Aspenberry was telling us?" He gently smacked the she-cat on the nose.

"As if a cat that stupid could lose more of his intelligence," She hissed back with her chest puffed up. Giving me a hateful glare she fled from the den.

"Sorry, Hazelpaw. She never means it… really."

The tabby offered me a soft smile. It was a nice gesture, but, according to what that starry cat said, him and that Palepaw were WindClan. The elders of ShadowClan made sure every cat knew not to trust them. Afterall, those moor dwellers always run when things get tough. I watched him as I gave my fur a careful lick.

"No problem, Palepaw doesn't bother me." I said slowly with my eyes still trailing him as he fidgeted.

The cat stared back at me and my fur prickled. When I noticed his eyes drifting over the scratches that lined my back I fell into a cautious calmness. I kept my focus on him as I went onto clean my fur. If I wasn't so worried about the tabby noticing anything, I would be fuming. Even though I was technically a WindClan cat now it still felt shameful being treated by their medicine cat.

"Say, you're acting really nice today… did something-" He began before a loud shriek from Palepaw which was followed by a stern yell.

"Pinepaw, come fix up your sister!" A new voice called from beyond the burrow.

The cat, Pinepaw I think, sent me one last glance before darting out of the medicine den. Once he was out of earshot, I let out a deep sigh and turned over so my front was facing a wall. My heart was pumping fast so I took steady breaths to calm it. I was completely shaken by the thought that I was already found out. I needed to fit in here as that was my only hope to get back home.

"Could you not get into fights every second?" A booming voice entered my den and was followed by an irritated groaning. I shut my eyes tight and pretended to be asleep.

"He attacked me first!" Palepaw protested and then grumbled a few more things under her breath.

"Palepaw! Do not talk about your clanmates like that. Honestly Aspenberry is wasting all these herbs on you when we barely have enough as it is!" The voice growled and its owner's tail slashed through the air with a loud hiss.

"Come on Berrybranch, you don't mean that," Pinepaw said shakily.

Silence for a moment and then a sigh.

"You're right, it's just this drought…" Berrybranch trailed off into a mutter.

"Well I don't need herbs anyways!" Palepaw shot out and scampered away.

"Palepaw!" Pinepaw said as he hastily ran after her.

After that only me and the loud mouthed Berrybranch were left in the den. I waited in silence with short and shaky breaths for her to leave. I felt eyes burn into the back of my pelt, but she spoke suddenly in a soft voice.

"I can tell that you're awake… If you're feeling up for it, your mentor wants to take you out hunting later."

With that she left me alone to rest.

It took a few odd questions here and there, but I came to learn that the mentor Hazelpaw has had for the past few moons was Sandrose. Her name was definitely earned as the orange she-cat who stood above me was very sharp and prickly. She eyed each movement I made as I pushed myself down into a hunting crouch. Fairsun and Frogleap of ShadowClan were always fond of the nursery and while they obsessed over the latest batch of kits their brother showed me and Ashpaw a few moves and hunting crouches. I was aware that my stance was flawed beyond belief, but I hoped I had managed something comparable to what I was taught. My legs began shaking as I held my pose under my new mentor's silent gaze. I couldn't tell if my body was out of shape or if her piercing green eyes were causing my trembles.

"Good," She called and I instantly collapsed to the ground. "I must say I'm surprised Hazelpaw."

Her words made me feel uneasy as I shakily got back to standing on four watched the whole time me with a blank expression and I felt like fidgeting under her harsh stare. I shifted between paws until she finally spoke again.

"I'm happy to see you motivated to learn, but you need work," She said dryly. "Now what did I say you need to do to hunt rabbits?"

My body was paralyzed as I tried to think. Rabbits do not usually stray into ShadowClan territory. I have overheard apprentices talking about various hunting techniques which ranged from how to kill mice to how to stalk frogs, but nothing to do with rabbits. I had thought that all you needed to do was treat it like tracking an oversized mouse. However the expectation I could see from my mentor told me otherwise.

"You need speed and distance to catch a rabbit, so how would you change your crouch?" She pressed.

With that hint I started to think about the basic crouch. I supposed it was something to do with the pressure you put on your legs. In order to feel the position out, I fell into the basic mouse crouch and then drew closer to the ground. Small flecks of grass brushed my belly and tickled my whiskers. The orange cat drew closer and circled me with her eyes hitting every tensed muscle. After two rotations she finally stopped and spoke.

"Not quite. Pull yourself back up and put more of your weight onto you back legs."

As I inched back up my body ached with the motion, until I was back into the standard mouse crouch. Once there I arched my chest up and pressed harder down onto my back legs. My front paws were left lightly resting on the grassy ground. While I was holding still my mentor muttered something to herself and moved closer. She drew a paw out, pressed down roughly onto my back and then retreated back.

"Hold it there," She commanded and I compiled. After a long moment of breathing heavily I was instructed again, "Now Jump."

The second I released the tension in my legs I sprung forward with a miraculous force. I travelled far and quickly. So quickly that when I started to ark downwards I panicked and hit the ground as a disorganized mess. I lost my balance the minute my paws touched grass and tumbled away. When I had stopped rolling I shakily sat up and slowly pressed my two front legs into the ground. Somehow I had managed not to twist or break a paw in that display of madness. Sandrose did not spare a look of concern and simply flicked her tail quietly.

"Hm," Sandrose said in, what I assumed was, approval, "Let's go catch a rabbit then."

I was caught off guard by her words and by the time I was back on my feet she was already leaving me behind. The pale orange cat sauntered away with astounding speed and I struggled to keep up. Eventually when I did stumble up to her side I was forced to a stop by a ginger tail that shot out. I looked up at my mentor's eyes and managed to get a sound out before being sharply cut off.

"Shush," She hissed. "See that rabbit? We are going to catch it." Before I could ask how she expected me to catch something when I could barely hold my hunting crouch she spoke again. "I will go and scare it and then you jump from a bush to catch it."

Without another breath, Sandrose slipped away from me. I watched her walk for a while in complete disbelief. I've spent less than a day in Hazelpaw's place and already two cats seem to hate me. I would have lingered on whatever he had done to enrage his own mentor, but I remembered that Sandrose wanted me to find a bush. I could hardly believe that I would mess that up, yet after looking around me I could only see slowly waving grass. With an eye still on the rabbit and the sandy coloured cat who lurked behind it, I crept backwards until my pelt brushed a rough surface. Upon turning around I could see a small shrub. It was lined in soft bluish-green leaves and branches that peeked out to stab into my back.

I crept so I was behind the bush but I could still see between some of the branches. Now that I was in position I could notice the brown rabbit who was already sprinting towards me. I grumbled angrily and settled down into a crouch. I pushed my body backwards and sprang out as soon as the creature got close enough. With a loud thud I landed a paw-length away from the rabbit and it turned to race away. The alluring scent of the rabbit's fear motivated me to push down again and spring after my prey. I fished out my claws and snagged the side of the rabbit's neck and drew it in. The animal was finished the second I gave a sharp bite that cracked its neck in two. I had a second to catch my breath before Sandrose showed up beside me.

"You caught it?" She asked breathlessly.

"Seems so," I huffed.

My body was high on adrenaline a moment ago and while I was now calming down I was also getting a bit tired. The rush I felt while hunting was indescribable, addictive and nothing like playing back in the nursery. I caught a soft purr from my mentor as she inspected the rabbit.

"A bit unnecessarily brutal, but it's still fresh-kill. Good job Hazelpaw," She praised. "Now let's keep that up and hunt some more."

She was already walking away, but I could make out the bright shine of pride lingering on her face. It was thrilling to see her so happy and I was determined to keep it up. I dug up some dirt to sprinkle onto the dead rabbit, but it ended up being mostly covered by shredded grass. Supposing it would be fine, I gave thanks to StarClan and went to find Sandrose.

It wasn't that difficult to follow the scent trail she left behind, but upon finding her Sandrose insisted I try to hunt on my own. I was clueless as to why she suggested that, but I did as I was told and went in the opposite direction. At first it seemed luck was on my side when I happened upon a fat field mouse. I fell down towards the ground and crept towards it. Yet the mouse was far gone before I could even prepare to leap at it. Another chance arouse when I found a thin rabbit munching on some grass. I used the same crouch as before, but the moment I jumped the rabbit was pelting away with incredible speed. I gave chase, but to no avail. In the end me and Sandrose walked back into camp carrying the rabbit I caught and her large bundle of fresh-kill.

It was silent as we walked back to camp. I was too busy focusing on following my mentor and memorizing the way we were going to start speaking. Sandrose had an unmistakable hint of frustration in the way she glared at the ground so it was unlikely she would start a conversation either. Once we entered camp, Sandrose dropped her rabbit and mice on a loaded pile in the middle of camp. I was about to do the same since there was a perfect spot at the bottom for my kill, but my mentor spoke before it left my jaws.

"Take that too Heatherheart will you? She is still refusing to eat." With that she walked away with a rabbit crammed nicely between her jaws.

Without a word of acknowledgement, I followed my nose to a milk scented gorse bush that rested beside a tall rock. With a nervous shake I ducked under the thickly woven branches and into the den sheltered beneath. There were two nests I could make out in the hideout. One held a sleeping cat whose silver fur seemed to be a deep blue in the shade of the bush overhead. Beside her white belly rested three figures that all had very distinct fur colours. The first one was a deep grey with highlights of a darker grey which were just off of being black. Then the kit sleeping in the middle had a bright coat made of ginger and white and beside her was the last kit who was almost a perfect replica to her mother except that she lacked any white fur.

In the other nest was a weary queen who sat upright. Her brown fur was dashed with black stripes and appeared very dull in the darkness. Her depressed figure made it easy to guess this was the Heatherheart I was supposed to feed. She was softly cleaning the fur of a coughing brown tabby she-kit who rested between her paws and was also off in some sort of trance as she continued the repeated task. On the edge of their nest starring back at me was a large brown tabby kit with a stripe down her back.

"I've brought a rabbit for Heatherheart," I said softly to the kit after I placed the fresh-kill down beside the three of them.

"Mother," The kit squeaked as she gave the queen a tired shove.

The light brown queen shook herself and looked around until she meet my stare with an empty sorrow.

"Oh Hazelpaw," She muttered. "What are you here for? Come to see Fennelkit have you?"

"Um, I brought a rabbit for you," I replied uneasily.

"Oh thank you darling, leave it here for me please."

I gently nudged the rabbit to where her tail was pointed at and crept back towards the entrance of the den. Heatherheart moved the rabbit around a bit before looking back at the small kit cupped between her paws. Just as I was nearing my escape from the den, a loud coughing made me freeze. Fennelkit had curled further into a small bundle of fur and was shaking as she let out breathy gasps for air. Heatherheart watched her for a moment and then turned up to me.

"Could you fetch Aspenberry for me?" She whispered.

With a brisk nod I left the den eagerly and headed towards the scent of herbs. I weaved past cats who were eating and came upon a large rock. There was a gap beneath the stone and I crept underneath. I emerged from darkness into the den I was at earlier and looked around for the medicine cat. I spotted the brown tabby named Pinepaw and walked towards him.

"Pinepaw, have you seen Aspenberry?" I asked, sparing another glance around the den.

"She went out to get some herbs, do you need something?" Pinepaw said happily with a few flicks of his tail. "Is your head bothering you? That was a pretty bad fall after all!"

"No no, it's Fennelkit. Her coughing…" I trailed off.

"Oh I'll take care of it, don't worry too much."

Even though he said that I could tell that the tabby's mood had soured. I watched as he carefully gathered a bundle of herbs in his jaws. As he turned to grab something from a store beside me, he met my stare.

"You can go, Fennelkit isn't as bad as she looks. Go eat something," He insisted with a hint of uncertainty.

I felt uneasy, but I obeyed. I crawled out from the entrance of the hovel and headed towards the fresh-kill pile. Out of the edge of my vision I could see Pinepaw stalk out and head towards the nursery with a few leaves and flowers. I grabbed one of the mice Sandrose had caught and settled down to eat on the the edge of camp. I was still watching Pinepaw as he disappeared under the gorse bush. With little else to do I let my mind wander as I slowly ate my mouse.

 **A/N I tried for a longer length this time and I hope it worked out.**

 **ExplodingQuasar: Thanks as always! Stormpaw and Ashenpaw are okay for now, but I have things planned for those two. C=**

 **Now for an important note:**

 **To encourage more reviews I'm going back to taking OC submissions. Right now, I'll only be taking kit submissions for future litters. I will give a bit of information for each cat, so try to base the name and fur colour of your character off of that.**

 **First Submissions are for Tornclaw:**

 **-Tornclaw has stunning orange fur which appears to be made of gold, but her dark green eyes are always filled with loathing for the cats around her.**

 **-The first born is Beetlekit. He got his name because the first thing Tornclaw thought when she saw him was that he looked like a small black insect.**


	6. Chapter 4: Observation

My pelt was almost on fire. The way Palepaw glared at me was very intense and rather bothersome. While I had slowly grown accustomed to the way things were done in WindClan, some things were difficult to copy and Palepaw seemed to notice each one. In particular I would find her observing me as I tried, and failed, to fall asleep. It was baffling to me why cats would willingly sleep outside and let themselves be exposed to the coldness of night. No matter how much I fidgeted, turned or twisted it was always difficult to get any sleep. So here I sat, exhausted and with Palepaw watching my every move.

Other than her, all I had to keep track of was the mindless banter between the two cats I was sitting with. There was Pinepaw, the brown tabby, who keep nervously glancing away from our little gathering to look at Palepaw. Other than him, the cat beside me was Rookpaw. He was the same brown tom who had seen me in a panic when I first woke up here. While I had compared him to the small, light brown furred Beechpaw, he was more like bad replica. Rookpaw's fur colour reminded me of the recent, unpleasantly dry days in ShadowClan when the muddy spots around camp got coarse and covered in cracks. Another feature, I had not noticed at first, was the awkward dent in his tail that caused its end to stick up. Now that I was aware of it, I had trouble looking away. I could tell there was a story behind it; however it would not be easy to ask about it.

Although I had to give the cat some credit, as he managed a bright smile despite having to live with certain others. Somehow I have come across WindClanners who are far ruder than my former clanmates. So far there was Palepaw, Sandrose, and this black and tan tom who hissed at me the moment we made eye contact. I had yet to learn his name and, despite my reluctance, I probably will have to.

"Hazelpaw are you sure you should be out of the medicine den?" Rookpaw asked softly, providing a nice distraction from my frustration.

I blinked at him for a moment and then replied, "Yeah I'm alright."

"Haha, since when do you pass up a chance to slack off in the medicine den?" Pinepaw chipped in. "Last time you got a thorn in your paw you shut yourself in for a whole moon!"

While it was supposed to be humorous, I could not help but feel insulted. I bristled in annoyance and almost glared at Pinepaw, but Palepaw, of all cats, managed to save me.

"What's with you Hazelpaw? Have you decided to stop being a dead weight around camp?" Her sharp voice hissed right next to my ear.

I flinched at the sudden air and spit that nicked the ends of my fur. I shimmed away and towards Pinepaw. Palepaw and a tiny associate of hers were now standing in the spot I had previously cat she was with had an unusual fur combination of mostly creamy white and a few greyish-blue markings. He was named Shortpaw, and he was very short. He was stocky and had tiny legs that could just barely be seen. While Palepaw went on rambling about something, Shortpaw went and sat closer to Rookpaw and struck up a conversation.

"Vinefire has been so harsh lately!" He groaned, "Did something happen to him or did he just get another thorn in his fur?"

"You haven't noticed?" Rookpaw laughed and curled his bent tail around his paws. "He has been staring at Berrybranch and Adderfur all the time."

"Wait, what?" Pinepaw and Shortpaw said in harmony.

"He's totally in love with Berrybranch!" Rookpaw meowed. "Shame Adderfur got her first."

I made myself mimicked the laugh of the three cats beside me. By the time I got back to ShadowClan I wouldn't need to remember which WindClan cats were mating, but I forced myself to retain this petty gossip. It seemed that whatever was going on between Berrybranch, Adderfur and Vinefire was a very common topic in WindClan.

"Speaking of those two, it's only a matter of time until Berrybranch moves into the nursery…" Rookpaw muttered.

"You think Adderfur will replace her?" Pinepaw asked suddenly.

"It has to be Redberry, he should have been deputy in the first place!" Shortpaw shouted in protest.

"I'm betting on Flamebreeze," Rookpaw interjected. "The deputy should be a cat who is as kind, loyal and strong as him."

Pinepaw and Shortpaw groaned simultaniously, "Here you go again…"

I was actually amused by this new quirk of Rookpaw, and let out a snicker. Soon enough we were all giggling like kits. While consumed in our laughter the four of us missed Palepaw getting up, leaving and returning with a larger she-cat in tow. The apprentice gave a short cough that halted our conversation. All of our eyes were dragged over to Palepaw and the cat. The newcomer's fur was light brown, but a much darker colour than what coated Palepaw. She also had a very particular shade of yellow eyes. It was a lot like the brown and tan lizards that were, occasionally, on the freshkill pile in ShadowClan.

"Badgerstar wants you all to go do some battle training. Seems ThunderClan has been lurking too close to our border lately," She chirped.

I got to my paws eagerly, but gave an side glance to Pinepaw who had also stood up. Even as we all followed the large brown cat out of camp Pinepaw still walked with us and, more specifically, he had trotted to the front and was talking to our leader. Shortpaw and Rookpaw had also broken away from me and now talked avidly about Palepaw and some she-cat named Hawkpaw. Talking about she-cats in that sense was the one thing I wanted to stay far away from while in Hazelpaw's body, and I opted for a bit more comfortable place beside one of their subjects.

"Why is Pinepaw coming with us? He won't be fighting will he?" I asked Palepaw to take my mind off of the whispering toms a few steps ahead.

She gave me an annoyed glare but caved into speaking when I refused to let up staring at her. "Adderfur almost bled to death last skirmish right? Those ThunderClan cats are turning into the savage ShadowClan cats they despise. Come next battle they might even go after Pinepaw or Aspenberry."

"What? Really," I mumbled to myself.

"Is it really that surprising?" She hissed under her breath in a serious tone and leaned closer. "Badgerstar has been watching the forest dwellers. ShadowClan and ThunderClan have been disgustingly friendly for the past few moons."

"No way would ShadowClan side with ThunderClan," I protested and pulled away from her.

"You seem oddly sure of that."

I bristled at the comment, and we both grew silent. Palepaw had turned her attention away and was now far off into thought. I wanted to spark up a new conversation about something which wasn't concerned with me or ShadowClan, but once I thought of a topic the sight of fighting cats drew my attention. There was a blur of orange up ahead as two cats collided in battle. As we got closer, I could make out Sandrose as she rolled with other cat and landed on her back. Above her was a larger tom with blazing ginger fur. He struck out with darker paws which were matched by Sandrose blocking each blow. When the tom wasted a second to look towards our approaching figures he was smacked across the muzzle by my mentor. With a laugh, the cat got off of Sandrose and shook his fur.

"And I thought we were only battling until Mouseroar got here with the apprentices." He said between breaths.

Sandrose disregarded him and turned to our group instead. "First lesson, never get distracted," She instructed.

Per usual Sandrose was still irritable, but she had a point. Although I was thankful for the sudden lesson, by the way the other apprentices were laughing, I could tell this was not the first time she had done this. After another short moment of chuckles, our group was already dispersed. Rookpaw had scrambled away and was now standing next to the ginger tom and chatting away. The cat he was with earlier, Shortpaw, had also appeared by the side of a taller cat. While I had just learned that Mouseroar was the light brown cat who lead us here, it seemed I had another two names to memorize.

The loud ramblings of Rookpaw quickly revealed the tom who was fighting to be Flamebreeze. The second cat's name was a bit more difficult to pick up. Shortpaw was speaking quietly and I had to physically walk over to the two to hear more than just his mumbles. As I approached, I realized how much the cat towered over me. He had long brown fur and, in any other circumstance, I would have mistaken him for a ThunderClan warrior. He stood like a tower and seethed with silent rage.

"So Vinefire, should we go show the others how a real warrior fights?" Shortpaw asked with a hint of desperation.

The older tom gave a simple nod and walked over to Mouseroar who was speaking with Sandrose and Flamebreeze. Shortpaw sighed deeply and followed him

"Vinefire! Good timing," Mouseroar cheered and flicked her tail as said cat lumbered over.

As Shortpaw and I joined them, I noticed that the other cats of our training group had formed into loose circle. Vinefire took a place at the head of the circle with his fellow warriors and left the small gap between Pinepaw and Rookpaw for Shortpaw and I. On the right of the medicine cat apprentice Palepaw had difficulty standing still and was constantly flexing her claws. Mouseroar seemed notice the apprentice's eagerness and called her forward.

"Palepaw, you'll go first," She said and motioned Palepaw forward, "Pinepaw you too. You two will be facing Vinefire. It'll be a mock battle, no claws but anything else goes. Now start."

In a flash of tan fur, Palepaw suddenly leaped at Vinefire with her paws outstretched. Vinefire stepped back and hit her with a loud thud that sent the apprentice twirling away. He moved after Palepaw as she spun out and onto the grass but only achieved a few steps. Pinepaw had jumped onto Vinefire's back and was swiping his paws as if he was scratching the large cat. Vinefire's fur shuddered as he tried to shake the cat off, but Pinepaw held on stubbornly. With a frustrated growl the larger tabby rolled over and crushed Pinepaw under his weight. Without a second to spare Palepaw rejoined the fray, and furiously clawed Vinefire's flank. When he tried to retaliate, he gave Pinepaw enough space to attack. The medicine cat apprentice gave a few critical bashes to Vinefire's stomach before Sandrose stopped the fight.

"Enough," She shouted loudly. With heavy breaths the three fighters withdrew back to the circumference of the ring. "If this was a real fight, Vinefire would have lost. Second lesson is to aim for hits at critical spots. If you can get a few good slices at your opponent's stomach, you will win."

With a few silent nods to Sandrose, we moved onto the next group. Rookpaw and Shortpaw were paired against Flamebreeze and Mouseroar. While Flamebreeze attacked the pair they worked together as a union, but once Mouseroar stepped in to back up her fellow mentor the fight went down very quickly. At first it was a few sideways glances, but eventually Rookpaw would completely divert his attention from Mouseroar. Everytime he pulled of a fancy move or counter against the she-cat his head flew to the side to check Flamebreeze's reaction. It wasn't long before Rookpaw and Shortpaw were battered, bruised and unable to fight.

Sandrose who had been watching with narrowed eyes gave a long sigh. "Stop," She finally said.

She walked over to loom over one of the collapsed forms. "Rookpaw how many times have I told you to stop doing that. If you look for approval from Flamebreeze in the middle of battle you will end up dead."

"There she goes again," Vinefire grumbled to himself and with a lash of his tail he took off back to camp.

The rest of the cats gave a collective sigh and followed after him. The way the cats unanimously left made it seem that Sandrose ranting to Rookpaw was pretty common. My mentor's fur was bristled and she was fuming. Valuing my life, I joined the cats walking away. Unlike our walk out here my fellow apprentices stuck by the side of a mentor. Shortpaw had caught up to Vinefire while Palepaw was cheerfully talking to Mouseroar. With the only other mentor left being Flamebreeze, I took the option of walking with Pinepaw.

"Shame you didn't get to fight." He said with a laugh.

I had to swallow my words before I could say something stupid. I, as in Silverpaw, would have been disappointed to miss out on battle training. However right now I was Hazelpaw and, from what I've managed to gather, I am supposed to be unenthusiastic.

"Ha ha, it's a shame." As I spoke I forced an unnatural sarcastic tone into my words.

When Pinepaw snorted, I knew that I had done something right.

 **Haaa this was hard to write. Sorry for it being short but I feel like if I forced it to be longer it would have been terrible.**

 **So this time we have the introduction to Rookpaw and Flamebreeze. I think their relationship is fun to think about. Flamebreeze is a lot like his apprentice and I can see Rookpaw admiring him a great deal. Maybe even a bit too much…**

 **Thank you so much for the reviews and character submissions! Even if I don't use them all for Tornclaw, I intend to include all of them at some point in the story.**


	7. Chapter 5: Field Trips

Her name was Hawkpaw; the brown cat with black ear tips who walked in front of me. She had the attention of Shortpaw either because of her sleek fur or because she happened to be the only she-cat apprentice other than Palepaw. Although I wasn't quite sure if I was supposed to count.

Our patrol consisted of six cats and was a bit on the large size. Hawkpaw was with her mentor, Redberry, and Shortpaw was with his. I formed the back of the patrol with Berrybranch. We were working on the very far north edge of WindClan's territory: a strip that touched the forestry outpost of ThunderClan.

One Shortpaw was pacing behind Hawkpaw with his ears dropping and a sparkle in his eyes.

"Shortpaw go and mark the border," The WindClan deputy ordered, likely noticing his trance.

Shortpaw flinched at the authoritative voice and glanced around nervously.

"Border…" He mumbled as his eyes fell onto a large rock which was situated on edge of WindClan territory.

"Mark it," Berrybranch repeated.

"Right."

He followed obediently over to the edge of a shallow river and returned moments later. He walked clumsily as if his mind was elsewhere. He definitely was somewhere else as whenever I moved close and muttered a single syllable the tom waved me off with a swish of his tail and an incoherent statement.

With Shortpaw all but ignoring me, I sought the only other cat I wanted to talk to. I moved quickly from Shortpaw's side to fall in place with her. I heard the apprentice hiss something at me but I ignored it and cleared my throat.

"Hawkpaw-" A loud screech cut me off.

A bundle of red slammed into the WindClan apprentice and the two twisted away from my side. I caught a glimpse of blazing amber eyes as I backed away in panic. Shortpaw stood frozen and the others were likewise dumbfounded.

A cat had Hawkpaw pinned and was hissing down at her enraged. His tail flicked back and forth with morbid excitement as he hung over her like a dog. I could imagine his mouth frothing and spit drooling down onto the shaking Hawkpaw. Quite contrastively, the other two intruders, who had appeared from the shade of ThunderClan trees, were peaceful as they approached.

One was massive and coated in silver, and was stunning save for a nasty scar stretching down her leg. She stared at the orange cat with immense anger. The other she-cat had a similar shade of grey, but was circled by dark grey stripes. She simply stared at our patrol with slumped shoulders as if she couldn't care less that Hawkpaw was about to be mauled.

"Foxpaw!" The larger one growled, "What in the name of StarClan are you doing??"

The ginger tom, presumably Foxpaw, looked up with his paws clenched and nails still pressing firmly down onto Hawkpaw.

"They were trespassing!" He insisted.

Shortpaw moved forward with his hackles raised and his teeth exposed but was ushered back by a orange spotted black tail. Berrybranch had intercepted him and now walked towards the ThunderClan cats with her eyes narrowed.

"We definitely were not. In fact I should be attacking you three for stepping past the border." Her tail lashed the air.

"Berrybranch," The large spoke again. "I apologize, this won't happen again."

"Of course, Swiftpelt. It was a foolish apprentice's mistake."

Swiftpelt moved quickly and yanked Foxpaw away by the scruff as he protested. She was no larger than the mass of ginger fur, but Foxpaw still seemed like a kit in her grasp.

His limbs flailing he whined, "Come on Ashenpaw, back me up here."

"Shut it Foxpaw," She grumbled and turned away uncaring. In a few silent moments her grey fur had slipped under a pool of darkness.

My patrol could do nothing but stand in awe of the display as Swiftpelt stumbled after the she-cat apprentice with Foxpaw held tightly in her grasp. Berrybranch watched as the two retreated and then turned to us five once they were out of sight.

She huffed, "Alright, there's not much border left so Hawkpaw, Shortpaw and Hazelpaw; you three can go back to camp. We'll finish up here."

"But-" Shortpaw protested.

"Go," Was all he got in response.

It was a empty walk back. I could still see the three warriors stand, unmoving, as they talked about something. I would have watched for longer if not for the glare Berrybranch sent me.

Up ahead, Shortpaw was grumbling something to himself and Hawkpaw was off in a daze. She hardly seemed like a cat who was just attacked. Her fluffy black tail swayed rhythmically as her feet padded heavily on the ground.

"Hawkpaw are you alright?" I asked taking a place on her right.

She looked at me for a moment before giving a brief response, "I'm fine."

"You sure? A cat just jumped out at you from nowhere…" I trailed off.

"I'm fine!" Then she was off.

"What's with you?" Shortpaw asked appearing by my side in the next moment. "Don't you know not to talk Hawkpaw. She doesn't speak with anyone but Lizardpaw."

He glared at me and watched as I shifted between steps.

"Right I must have forgotten."

He grumbled something and ran off after Hawkpaw.

It wasn't long before I was back in WindClan. Somehow, be it the fault of Shortpaw or Hawkpaw, cats had an array of questions about what happened. Behind a large swarm of cats, I could make out Hawkpaw slipping under a burrow into the apprentices den. The cluster consisted of apprentices, some young warriors and Shortpaw who was at its center.

Perhaps it was pay back, but whenever a cat came to ask me about what happened I sent them over to Shortpaw. The only cat I couldn't avoid was a small clump of brown and black fur who stared at me with excited eyes. Her sickness seem all but non-existent, and it was quite pleasing to see her up and about.

"Hazelpaw! Hazelpaw! I heard something happened on the ThunderClan border," Fennelkit chirped.

Rather than get buried under cats trying to reach Shortpaw, Fennelkit chose the next best source of news. Me.

"How did you figure out something happened so quickly?" I muttered gazing around at the other cats.

She took no time replying, "Well- Hawkpaw was telling Lizardpaw about it when Palepaw overheard. Of course she went and told Pinepaw, who told Aspenberry. Aspenberry was talking about it to the senior warriors and-" She took a breath.

"Alright alright," I sighed, "I get it."

"So what happened?"

"Nothing much. A ThunderClanner, Foxpaw I think, attacked our patrol all of a sudden."

"Ohhh was it an all out fight?"

"No nothing that spectacular."

I dreamt of a warm and humid den and I purred in response to the sensation. I was able to escape Fennelkit once Berrybranch came back to camp. She sent me to do some meaningless tasks around camp. After that, I ate and fell asleep.

Well, I tried too. Sleeping under the stars was far inferior to what I was used too. It was freezing out, even though it was leaf-green, and very, very dry. Although I suppose it was wet enough for the grass to grow; something I was rather thankful for. Most WindClan cats put up with these conditions by sleeping in large bundles of fur, but I was still not comfortable with their grassy scents.

A cat shifted and their legs dug into my back. I rolled over to see who it was that had waken me from my dream. I was very unsurprised to see Palepaw sprawled across her brother and rudely interrupting my sleep by kicking at my side. It had taken me moons to get close to falling asleep and I was determined to not let a single cat ruin that. I shimmied away from the apprentice and closed my eyes, willing sleep to take me.

I was shocked when it actually did, but not as shocked as I was when I felt my eyes flicker open once more. Pine trees blurred around me and I was instantly hit with the ground against my paws. A dull ache lingered in my hind legs. With that last sensation, my thoughts melted into a dream like trance.

I sunk my teeth into the back of the rodent caught under my paws and it stopped squirming. A spark of pride filled me as life left the mouse's body. I could carry it to camp with pride and give it to one of the elders or even a queen. While I had a vague feeling that the sensation of killing prey was familiar I brushed it aside. I was in ShadowClan right now.

I went to bury my mouse but before I could shove the last pawful of dirt over it. A rustle in the bushes caught my attention and a large cat appeared from behind them.

A black and white figure I had missed gave me a wry smile.

"Well done Silverpaw, your first catch," Tallstorm purred.

I smiled gleefully and ran to his side. "Thanks!" I cheered

"Now if only we could get your brother to do that…" He hummed to himself and I sighed.

"Ashpaw will be Ashpaw."

"You're right about that."

As much as I wanted to fall over myself and ask questions about how things were in ShadowClan. I didn't want to waste the time I had. What I did learn was that I was on a hunting patrol with Tallstorm, Ashpaw and a few other cats.

I felt disorientated from being smaller than Hazelpaw, but I still managed another catch before I was told to go back. I was brimming with pride as I walked back into camp.

As I placed my mouse and squirrel on the fresh-kill pile, a small kit bumped into my leg. She looked up at me with round green eyes. Her fur was a creamy lake of an off-white colour that branched off in tangled clumps. It was shocking; not remembering who the cat was.

A solid black kit ran up behind her. She shared the same silky fur but was decorated with sparkling blue eyes.

"Hurry up already," She wined.

"I can't find a thrush, or any bird. Can't we take a mouse instead?" The cream kit replied.

It seemed like I had blankly stared at the pair for an eternity when I heard a voice call their names.

"Hollykit and Duskkit, your siblings are waiting."

I turned to look up at a set of milky blue eyes that watched the kits with a motherly warmth.

"Sky… Skyfeather," I mumbled unconsciously and the cat turned to look at me.

"Yes Silverpaw? I hope these two weren't bothering you," She said with a gentle smile.

"-of course not, I was just about grab something myself."

"Care to join us then? Maybe share some stories?"

"Sure…"

I grabbed a scrawny rabbit off the pile and noticed the black kit grab my still warm squirrel off the pile and attempt to drag it towards the nursery. The cream one huffed and snatched the squirrel's tail to prevent it from getting covered in dirt. Surprisingly, the two worked well together and traveled with a similar pace as to not stumble and fall.

Skyfeather purred and spoke to me while watching them, "Shall we catch up to them, I wouldn't mind sharing that rabbit with you."

"Of course not." We took off after them.

Outside the nursery, in a particularly bright patch of sun, were Duskkit and Hollykit along with two others. One was covered in white and messy splotches of ginger who watched me sit beside where Skyfeather had just settled. The other

figure was pressed so tightly against the white fur of his brother that his mix of black and brown appeared to be additional markings which made the white kit have an odd array of white, gold, black and various shades of brown.

"Silverpaw you haven't been around lately," One said casually.

"Having too much fun to spend time with your former denmates?" The kit, Duskkit I believe, added.

I gave a shaky laugh, "Of course not. I've just been working hard."

It hadn't hit me until now, but why couldn't I remember these four at first. Sure, I may be asleep and it had been a half moon since I last saw them They all, Duskkit in particular, seemed larger than the small kits I played around with, but I still felt horrible.

"Ha I didn't expect you'd feel that bad about it," Duskkit snickered when she noticed my expression.

"Sorry… I've just been a bit lost lately." That was an understatement.

The six of us grew quiet as we continued to eat. A silence which was not helping with my internal struggle. Thinking brought me to the time Duskkit, Ashpaw and I messed around in the medicine den.

It was two moons or so ago, when a bad cough was going around camp. Ashpaw was, at the time, set on becoming a medicine cat. Waterpaw and Snowdaisy were both out collecting some herb or another. I suppose the reason they both went out had something to do with herbs being hard to find in the winter, but I didn't care enough to remember.

Anyways, Duskkit had nasty cough and Ashpaw wanted to help. We rummaged through the den, spilling herb piles and spreading dust until Ashpaw declared he had found something. On a leaf he had set a small clump of black seeds and pushed them to Duskkit. Her coughing did stop, but she was also unconscious for the rest of the day.

It was a forgettable incident, but one of many I had stored in my memory

"Silverpaw, do you need to go see Snowdaisy?" Skyfeather asked softly.

"Huh?" I replied looking around. Nothing remained of the rabbit except for bones and the four kits had already taken off.

"You've been acting off lately," Skyfeather added.

"When did they-" I cut myself off. "Thanks for worrying, but I'm alright."

"Really?"

"Yeah I'm just happy to be back,"

 **A/N: Haha it's been to long, sorry.** **I won't waste space with the generic "school" excuse.** **Got around to introducing Hawkpaw and some other characters, but nothing much else.** **Next chapter will be a lot more interesting.** **Thanks to Exploding and 2Lazy2Login for your reviews!**


End file.
